Advancing into State-of-the-Art Surgical Suite

The growing trends toward new and innovative OR equipment are shaping the market structure.

Facilities that succeed in attracting top surgical staff and top patient satisfaction scores know the value of a top-shelf surgical suite. Having a state-of-the-art operating room (OR) is not just another item on a surgeon’s wish list anymore. It has become an essential asset that providers need in order to support current and future surgical procedures, complex instrumentation, and workflow demands. Consequently, surgeons, in particular, want amenities such as the latest advancements in surgical lighting that minimize the need for manual light head adjustments during surgery while providing consistent illumination to help them distinguish subtle differences in tissue color. The best surgical light provides two things – the correct amount of illumination for the procedure and the right patches size. Brighter does not mean better. Too much (intensity) can fatigue the surgeon’s eyes and cause glare. As far as tables are concerned, busy ORs require a highly versatile design that enables fast OR turnover while minimizing the need to store underutilized specialty tables. Flexible table positioning is the key to ensure optimal safety and comfort for both the surgeon and patient.

Globally the OR equipment market is expected to grow from USD 15,560 million in 2017 to USD 34,578.77 million by 2025, reflecting a CAGR of 10.5 percent, according to Inkwood Research. The growing trends toward new and innovative OR equipment such as surgical tables and operating lights are shaping the market structure.

Technological Advances in OR Tables
Development of operating techniques has made procedures more specific and extensive, with far greater requirements for adjusting the operating table and the patient’s positioning. The tables have evolved to become more flexible and can now be outfitted for a greater variety of procedures.

Advanced orthopedic operating tables. The evolution of orthopedic procedures from invasive to non-invasive needs patients to be positioned differently and these specialized surgical tables allow handling a variety of procedures/positions. The advanced ORs integrate various types of surgical and imaging equipment and allow surgeons to perform surgeries, with MI techniques. The new tables help to reduce the need for additional patient transfers to imaging rooms, and thus enhance patient safety and minimize the time taken to perform surgeries.

Multi-functional and multi-disciplinary operating tables. The new surgical tables are specifically engineered for the MRI environment and are segmented for optimal patient positioning. Furthermore, the multi-functional design offers the flexibility of interchangeable tops and therefore multi-disciplinary use. The new multi-disciplinary tables make it possible to perform 90 percent or more of the OR’s surgical procedures on a single accessory-enriched mobile platform which reduces the need to invest in capital intensive and underutilized specialty tables.

Mobile hybrid operating tables. The mobile hybrid table combines the benefits of interventional and surgical tables. Not only does it provide the radiolucency, mobility, and integration of imaging devices as found in conventional interventional tables, but also makes the proper accessories easily available, in that it includes rails for mounting surgical equipment clamps or retractors as found in a conventional surgical table. The hybrid table consists of two modules, a floating table top that offers 360° radiolucency over long distances, and a mobile module comprising the base part and a mobile bracket.

Technological Advances in OR Lights
ORs require specific pieces of equipment. Many of these are high-tech and used for advanced surgeries and would be inadequate without integrated lighting. Good and high-quality lighting is critical to the safety and efficiency of the OR procedure, specifically in lateral, minimally invasive, and deep cavity cases.

The luminance management device system. The luminance management device (LMD) maintains optimum visual acuity and avoids difficulties adapting to excessive variations in luminosity, thus regulating the illumination reaching the surgeons’ eyes. LMD offers total freedom of movement without any drop in illumination. The homogeneous light volume provides a column of light even in the deepest surgical cavities without needing adjustment.

Cordless surgical lighting. It offers untethered illumination via a cordless battery pack. This freedom from traditional corded lighting enables illumination in places where traditional light sources are not capable of going. Paired with a suction, retractor, and innovative zip strap mounting options, the light offers versatile targeted illumination.

Surgical light with flexible shaft. The system overcomes the limitations of traditional overhead surgical lighting by allowing the LED light source to be precisely directed via a long, flexible shaft. The result is the safe illumination of a precise surgical area from virtually any angle without the need for the surgeon to wear a head light.

User control lighting. Flexible lighting ensures a surgical suite can meet all its needs. As with most state-of-the-art surgical suites, data collection includes voice recordings, radiology scans, patient data, and images from endoscopic and overhead cameras and from cameras mounted on booms. The lighting for data collection as well as display (and viewing) is critical, yet complicated. In minimally invasive surgery, the lighting requirement is different because the surgeon is directing a probe inside the patient’s body while looking at a screen, which is difficult to read in bright light. Recently, this problem is eliminated with advances in user-controlled lighting systems.

Infection control. In today’s ORs, clean air enters the room through inlets in the ceiling, while dirty air is removed through outlets closer to floor level. The new surgical light has been developed for hospital ORs, which are known for their strict standards on hygiene. The system is designed in such a way that it allows air to flow through it, so that air will not circulate above the patient. It also has reduced surface area, thus collecting less dirt than many conventional solutions.

Outlook
Many of the greatest ideas and innovations are not in the operative field, where surgeons focus their tools and time, but are sourced from the multitude of processes that must happen to facilitate a smooth operation. Surgeons commonly experience the challenges of poor visualization, prolonged periods of tedious dissection, and episodes of chaos. That makes it difficult to detach and focus on innovation while in the OR. Considering the critical role that precision lighting plays in today’s OR procedures, ORs are required to integrate a variety of technological advances which require proper lighting to be fully utilized. The main focus of concentration should be on the quality of light versus the quantity of light.

Additionally, surgical tables comprise one of the first requirements of a modern healthcare system and thus are likely to be in constant demand over the near future. Developed countries have led the way in modernizing their healthcare sectors and incorporating major technological advances, but healthcare agencies in developing regions are also likely to become major players in the sector. New operating procedures and requirements for patient positioning will continue to make new demands of operating tables in future. Mobile operating tables and operating table systems will have to be developed further in order to satisfy the expectations and demands of operating teams and patients.

The OR is a demanding environment that requires precision, efficiency, communication, skilled surgeons and healthcare professionals, and quality lighting. Advances will continue as lighting choices, illumination, and surgical tables become smarter in the ORs and medical field. Each step forward will make for a safe environment for both the patient and the surgical team.